yucca

noun

yuc·​ca ˈyə-kə 

1

: any of a genus (Yucca) of sometimes arborescent plants of the asparagus family that occur in warm regions chiefly of western North America and have long sword-shaped often stiff fibrous-margined leaves on a usually woody base and bear a large panicle of white blossoms

2

: cassava

Illustration of yucca

Examples of yucca in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On the West Coast, California’s Joshua Tree was considered one of the most welcoming places for 2025, featuring nearly 800,000 acres of national park along with its eponymous and distinct Joshua tree (or yucca) forests. —Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 28 Jan. 2025

Palm, banana, olive, and yucca trees create a dense canopy that contrasts with the Boston ferns and fiddle-leaf figs around the pool. —Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Dec. 2024

The frogs spend their entire lives in pandans, which resemble yucca or aloe plants, but can grow much taller. —Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 31 Dec. 2024

The Best-of-Show winner at Santa Fe was a reproduction of a weapon set carefully crafted with natural materials like knapped flint, turkey feathers, yucca cord and juniper branches commemorating the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 by Acoma Pueblo artist Dan Vallo. —Debra Utacia Krol, USA TODAY, 28 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Spanish yuca, of unknown origin

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

yucca

noun

yuc·​ca ˈyək-ə 

: any of a genus of plants that are related to the agaves, grow in warm dry regions mostly of western North America, have long pointed often stiff leaves, and produce a tall stiff stalk with whitish flowers